Opiate Birth
Subliminal Lacerations


4.0
excellent

Review

by The Endless Empty USER (10 Reviews)
November 3rd, 2014 | 15 replies


Release Date: 2014 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Everything is beneath the surface

Slice through the noise, the filth, the wires and parts of a thousand failed modifications. Under the waste you will find a human, though withered and abused still very much human. The body clutches on to something from a past life that keeps it alive. The machines feed on the tiny emotional responses the body still has.

What makes industrial and noise music so interesting? The music is torturous, violent and ugly. These genres of mechanical grinding as some the ultimate forms of human expression. Strip back all the surface features, and all the musical conventions and you find the artist by itself with ultimate freedom. The results are ugly, dark, experimental and yet fully human.

Subliminal Lacerations, the first album by industrial noise artist Opiate Birth, fully explores the realization and destruction of one's humanity. Previous projects by Opiate Birth's Zachary Lindsay, like Volcanic Queen, did explore the dark reaches of music. Yet, none have dedicated themselves to a constant noise punishment like Subliminal Lacerations. The album splits itself into three-two song sections, feeding a brooding concept.

The first part consists of the songs In Search of Human Flesh and Sacrificed. These two tracks are the most lyrically heavy on the album and involve a inner conversation of confessions. The vocals are buried beneath a mountain of distortion and noise, making a set of the written lyrics a must for a full experience of the songs. In Search of Human Flesh starts the album out strong with a highlight. The track starts offs with a shock of heavy looping percussion that fade away to waves of noise. The waves of noise almost become soothing by the end of the track, an impressive feat considering the amount of distortion coating the instruments.

Through Rocks and Pillars and Broken Spine completed the second section of the album. The two songs show the biggest clash between styles. Through Rocks and Pillars supports the cleanest production, most understandable lyrics and is overall the most passionate track of Subliminal Lacerations. On the other hand, Broken Spine is the most mechanical and punishing track. Broken Spine's never ending rhythm has very 80's ebm feel to it, sounding like something Front Line Assembly could produce, but with a much more sinister atmosphere. Though both these tracks rely heavily on repetition, the first always seems to growing, trying to reach a ultimate goal. where as the latter is very stagnate dynamically, perfectly representing continuous torture.

The final movement of the album includes Total Decay and Pain In Mind. Total Decay is a feast of mind-numbing noise, showing that the torture from Broken Spine has left the body unable to feel anything. The album closes with another insane ebm rhythm on Pain In Mind that is both punishing and danceable. The track then falls into repeating electronic buzzing and finishes with its most nihilistic lyrics. The closing track displays the character's complete disconnection.

While many industrial bands fall into certain conventions, completely destroying the experimental intrigue of the genre. Opiate Birth has carved its own niche, creating a very original album that mostly succeeds at its ambitious concept. The search through the noise and filth will be difficult, but given the chance the consuming music will lead you to find something very human.



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user ratings (9)
2.8
good

Comments:Add a Comment 
laughingman22
November 3rd 2014


2838 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Industrial Noise from user Graveyard



Check it out here: https://opiatebirth.bandcamp.com/releases

Jots
Emeritus
November 3rd 2014


7586 Comments


sweet. I wouldn't have done a good job on this so it's cool you tackled it.
(edit: fixed)
really cool review man. don't really have anything negative to say in the grand scheme of things. pos

cryptside
November 3rd 2014


2406 Comments


Awesome review, pos'd. Commenting so that I can download this when I get home. Sounds freaking awesome.

ExplosiveOranges
November 3rd 2014


4408 Comments


YES A LAUGHINGMAN REVIEW

laughingman22
November 3rd 2014


2838 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

thanks for the critiques Johnny, I put that little comment in there because I think stuff like this is beautiful but I always get strange looks from other people, oh well the review is better without it

TheCrocodile
November 3rd 2014


2925 Comments


Always like to see industrial music promoted on this site...props and good review.

Just a few things though:

"This reviewer see these genres of mechanical grinding as some the ultimate forms of human expression." - I'd actually drop the "This reviewer see" (or at least put an 's' after see!) because, while a bold statement to say, it gives more weigh to your sentence and there's also truth behind it as industrial music roots itself in very primal human urges ;).

Also, the fifth and sixth paragraphs could use a bit more analysis as to why these songs are effective, you only talked about how they sounded.

But that's about it :D, have a pos.


laughingman22
November 3rd 2014


2838 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Thanks for the feedback, currently adding more beef to those paragraphs

ScuroFantasma
Emeritus
November 3rd 2014


12268 Comments


will check the album and will read review soon, commenting just as a reminder

Judio!
November 3rd 2014


8501 Comments


Awesome review man, maybe even one of your best! Gonna check this hard soon cuz Graveyard m/

Graveyard
November 3rd 2014


6374 Comments


"The search through the noise and filth will be difficult, but given the chance the consuming music will lead you to find something very human."

Dame. Agreed hard with this part and it's very much true. Overall, a very solid review laughingman. You pretty much nailed all the points I was trying to get across on this release and then some. Def pos.

laughingman22
November 3rd 2014


2838 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Im glad you liked the review, definitely a different feeling reviewing a user made album

ScuroFantasma
Emeritus
November 4th 2014


12268 Comments


Okay so now I've read it, good review laughingman, have a pos. Definitely going to check this out.

Wizardboi
November 4th 2014


60 Comments


What a fucking weird band name.

Graveyard
November 4th 2014


6374 Comments


this isn't a band

Wizardboi
November 4th 2014


60 Comments


oh my mistake. What a fucking weird hip hop duo name.



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